Cooper Toland draws ballerinas Taylor Richards far right, and Franki Mastrone, center, during the Loft Artists Association's free Draw On workshop on Saturday, March 15, 2014, which was held in the association's gallery spaces in the South End section of Stamford, Conn. The Loft Artists Association and other South End representatives are hoping those who live and work in the area participate in a survey meant to identify new cultural and arts opportunities that appeal to the community.

Back to front, Kavita Bhansali, Jesus Betancour and Natalia Betancour draw a still life during the Loft Artists Association's free Draw On workshop on Saturday, March 15, 2014. It is one of several artistic events held each year in the Stamford, Conn.'s South End. A new effort is under way to assess other cultural and arts events that would appeal to those who live and work in the area.

William Nelson talks about his work inside 100 Washington Blvd. on Tuesday, November 12, 2013, where he has a studio as part of Sprouting Spaces 1, a collaboration between Fernando Luis Alvarez Gallery and Building and Land Technology to fill empty commercial space in Stamford's South End. A new project is under way to assess additional arts and cultural opportunities.

When the Loft Artists Association in Stamford's South End opened its doors for its free Draw On workshops in March, it was clear there was a problem -- one it didn't mind having.

"We had to open more sessions," said the group's president, Ellen Gordon, recalling the steady flow of aspiring artists who came to sketch models and paint scenes.

It was clear the workshops were a hit, but Gordon and other South End community members hope to discover what other arts and cultural opportunities appeal to those who live and work in the area. The group, which includes arts groups, Building and Land Technology representatives, businesses, the Stamford Partnership, the South End Neighborhood Revitalization Zone, churches and city officials, recently released an online survey that will assess just that. Respondents have until Saturday, May 31.

The survey comes amid significant changes to the area, including Building and Land Technology's Harbor Point, a multibillion-dollar, mixed-use redevelopment project.

"This will help us to broaden the conversation," said Ryan Odinak, executive director of the Cultural Alliance of Fairfield County. "It's about getting every person at the table."

Odinak said she became involved with the project in the fall at the request of the state's Office of the Arts. John Cusano, the office's community development coordinator, tapped the alliance after representatives from BLT sought assistance in how best to assess the area's cultural needs and develop ways to bring people together through culture and the arts.

The effort mirrors a national movement that has gained traction for about the past 20 years: creative placemaking. It focuses on using the arts to revitalize communities and spur local economies, while bringing together private, public and community partners to help shape the character of a neighborhood -- as well as give those who live, work and visit there a sense of place. For the past several years, this collaborative effort also has been encouraged by the state's Department of Economic and Community Development (under which the Office of Arts falls), when it comes to arts funding.

"Arts and culture, particularly a diversity of arts and culture, give people something to do and a reason to come together," said Jamie Bennett, executive director of New York City-based ArtPlace America, a group that invests in creative placemaking projects around the country. He cited a recent study by Gallup and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation that looked at what attracted people to a community and encouraged them to invest in its future. It identified social offerings (places to meet), openness and the area's aesthetics (which included the physical structures and green spaces), which Bennett said were all "hallmarks of the arts."

Cusano said the local survey should offer revelations of its own. "It will do a few things, hopefully, including getting people involved in this conversation who really need to be involved ... new residents, residents who have lived there their entire lives, people who work there, whose children go to school there."

Also looking forward to the results is Building and Land Technology, which has worked on cultural initiatives in the past, including a pop-up art gallery in collaboration with artist and gallery owner Fernando Luis Alvarez. It also worked with the Loft Artists Association to find new space when the lease it held with BLT ran out last year.

"We are glad to see these groups create a survey to capture public opinion on what makes a great neighborhood, and look forward to seeing the results," said Ted Ferrarone, chief operating officer for BLT, in a statement. "The South End is full of possibilities."

As the group assesses results and takes the next steps, there will be concrete examples of those possibilities this summer. The Loft Artists Association will host workshops for children, while BLT and area retailers will sponsor live music Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, host free movies at Commons Park and offer a farmers market.

"There are so many assets already there," said Cusano of the South End. "Really, in part, what programs like this try to do, at their deepest meaning is to allow people with different world views ... to come together and share something meaningful."

Christina.hennessy@scni.com;

Twitter: @xtinahennessy

If you live or work in Stamford's South End, and are interested in taking the survey, visit surveymonkey.com/s/SouthEndSurvey.